Inactive case for emergency exit bolt

ABSTRACT

An emergency exit bolt assembly for mounting on the inner surface of a door includes active and inactive cases supporting a pair of pivoted levers connected by a horizontal panic bar. Springs contained in the inactive case bias the panic bar away from the door toward a projected position. A prestressed auxiliary spring unit in snap-in assembly with the inactive case provides additional biasing force for urging the panic bar toward its projected position.

[ Feb. 18, 1975 United States Patent 191 Balducci [5 INACTIVE CASE FOR EMERGENCY EXIT 3,645,572 2/1972 McFarlane............................ 292/21 BOLT [75] Inventor: Walter O. Balducci, New Britain, Primary Examiner-Robert Wolfe Conn.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McCormick, Paulding & Huber [73] Assignee:

[57] ABSTRACT An emergency exit bolt assembly for mounting on the [22] Filed: Nov. 29, 1973 MM 9101420382 inner surface of a door includes active and inactive cases supporting a pair of pivoted levers connected by a horizontal panic bar. Springs contained in the inactive case bias the panic bar away from the door toward a projected position. A prestressed auxiliary spring unit in snap-in assembly with the inactive case provides additional biasing force for urging the panic bar toward its projected position.

2 5 6m 5 GI G DISD em ,4, 2 .2 1 7mm M M 9 9 2 2 n m o n "m 2 9 m m 2 n 2 u "9 m W m m a r u a i e m S L m l d s U.| .F mm 555 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 INACTIVE CASE FOR EMERGENCY EXIT BOLT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to emergency exit bolt assemblies of panic bar actuated type and which include active and inactive cases for mounting on the inner surface of a door to provide pivotal support for levers which carry the panic bar and deals more particularly with an improved inactive case for such a bolt assembly.

In an emergency exit bolt assembly of the aforedescribed general type, the active case contains at least a portion of a latch bolt operating mechanism and may also support a latch bolt, whereas the inactive case includes mechanism for biasing the panic bar away from the face of the door or toward its extended position. The biasing mechanism associated with .the inactive case may, for example, comprise one or more compression springs for urging the panic bar toward its extended position. However, when such a bolt assembly is mounted on a wide door, which requiresan unusually long panic bar, such as a panic bar having a length of 48 inches or greater, the weight of the bar may be sufficient to overcome the force exerted by the biasing mechanism in the inactive case so that the bar will sag or normally assume a partially depressed position. Heretofore, an auxiliary compression spring has been provided for assembly with the inactive case to compensate for additional bar weight when an unusually long panic bar has been required. This auxiliary spring has been merely assembled in the inactive case, compressed, and maintained in compressed condition by assembly of a cover with the frame or backplate of the inactive case. However, removal 'of the cover released energy stored in the compressed auxiliary spring. Thus, an inexperienced person, or one unfamiliar with the mechanism, in removing the cover, could, inadvertently, suddenly release energy stored in the auxiliary spring causing it to jump or spring from its case presenting a potential personal injury hazard. Further, the auxiliary spring had to be compressed and assembled in an inactive case which presented inherent installation problems accompanied by further risk of personal injury.

Accordingly, it is the general aim of the present invention to provide an improved inactive case for an emergency exit bolt assembly and which includes an auxiliary or booster spring unit which may be readily assembled with or removed from the inactive case with minimal effort whereby auxiliary spring assembly is simplified and potential risk of personal injury is substantially eliminated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an emergency exit bolt assembly which includes an inactive case embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the inactive case of FIG. 1, the cover and top casting shown broken away to reveal mechanism within the case.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the auxiliary spring unit, a portion of the auxiliary spring shown in axial section to reveal the support rod therein.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to the drawing, an emergency exit bolt indicated generally at 10 in FIG. I is shown mounted in operating position on the inner face of an outwardly opening door. The bolt assembly 10 has an inactive case embodying the present invention and indicated generally at 12 and also includes an active case 14. Levers l6 and 18 respectively, pivotally mounted on the inactive and active cases support a horizontal panic bar 20 for pivotal movement toward and away from the door between projected and depressed positions. The

active case 14 houses operating mechanism (not' shown) for acutating a latch mechanism 22 mounted in a mortise opening in the door to retract a latch bolt 23 associated with the latter mechanism in response to movement of the panic bar 20 toward its depressed position. The inactive case 12, hereinafter further described contains biasing mechanism for urging the cross bar 20 toward its projected position and in accordance with the present invention also includes an auxiliary spring unit, indicated generally generally at 24, in snap-in assembly therein. The auxiliary spring unit 24 provides additional biasing force to urge the panic bar 20 toward its projected position as will behereinafter discussed.

Considering now the inactive case 12 in further detail and referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the inactive case generally comprises a frame or backplate assembly indicated generally at 26 which includes a backplate 28,- a slide 30 supported on the backplate for sliding movement between first and second positions respectively indicated in full and broken lines in FIG. 2. A pair of biasing springs 32, 32 act between the-backplate 28 and the slide 32 to bias the slide 30 toward its first position. The backplate 28 is adapted for mounting on the face of a door and has integral bosses or mounting brackets 34 and 36, 36 thereon. The upper bracket 34 has an upwardly opening central aperture 38 therein. The mounting brackets 34 and 36, 36 provide support for a pair of spaced vertically extending parallel guide rods 38, 38. The slide 30 comprises a pair of sleeves 40, 40 each slidably received on an associated guide rod 38. A plate 42 connects the sleeves 40, 40 and carries an elongated finger 44 which depends therefrom between the sleeves and has a downwardly facing abutment 46 at its lower end. The slide 30 further includes an upwardly opening bore 48 which extends for some distance into the finger 44, as shown in FIG. 3. The lever 16 is supported on a pivot shaft 52 carried by a cover 50 assembly mounted on the backplate and releasably secured thereto by fasteners (not shown). A finger 54 on the lever engages the abutment 46 on the slide 30 for raising the slide against the biasing force of the springs 30, 30 when the lever 16 is moved in a clockwise direction, from its full line to its broken line position of FIG. 2, by depressing the panic bar 20. Pivotal movement of the lever 16 in a counterclockwise direction is limited by a roll pin 55 carried by the lever and engageable with the cover assembly 50.

In accordance with the present invention, the auxiliary spring unit 24, best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, provides additional biasing force to urge the slide 30 to its first position. The spring unit 24 is adapted for snap-in assembly with the frame assembly 26 and includes a compression spring 56, a support rod 58, and a pair of ferrules 60, 60 which cooperate with the support rod 58 to retain the compression spring in a pre-stressed or compressed condition prior to assembly with the frame assembly 26.

The guide rod 58 is generally cylindrical and includes a central portion which has a diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the spring 56. The end portions of the guide rod 58 are of somewhat smaller diameter than the central portion thereof. Each end portion of the guide rod has an enlarged head 62 thereon. Each ferrule 60 is generally cup-shaped to receive an associated end portion of the spring 56 therein. A slot 64 opens radially outwardly through one side of each ferrule 60 to receive and releasably retain an associated end portion of the guide rod 58 in assembly therein.

The auxiliary spring unit 24 is snapped into assembly with the frame assembly 28. The head 62 at the upper end of the guide rod is received within the aperture 38 whereas the head at the lower end of the guide rod is received within the bore 48. Assembly of the spring unit with the frame assembly serves to slightly further compress the spring 56. However, since the spring 56 is in a prestressed or compressed condition prior to assembly it need only be slightly further compressed during assembly with the backplate assembly 26. The rounded surfaces on the heads 62, 62 further aid in affecting snap-in assembly.

I claim:

1. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt as sembly and having a frame assembly including a frame, a slide, means supporting said slide on said frame for sliding movement relative thereto between a first and a second position, and means for biasing said slide toward said first position, the improvement comprising an auxillary spring unit for snap-in assembly with said frame assembly and including a compression spring, a support rod extending through said compression spring, and means for retaining said compression spring in a compressed condition on said support rod prior to snap-in assembly with said frame assembly, said auxillary spring unit in assembly with said frame assembly providing additional biasing force for urging said slide toward said first position.

2. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt assembly as set forth in claim 1, the combination wherein said frame comprises a backplate for mounting on a surface of a door, said means for supporting said slide comprises a pair of parallel guide rods extending through said slide and mounted in fixed position on said backplate, said auxilliary spring unit is received in snap-in engagement with said backplate and said slide between said guide rods and axially parallel thereto.

3. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt assembly as set forth in claim 1, the combination wherein said support rod has an enlarged head thereon and said means for retaining said compression spring comprises a retaining member disposed between said enlarged head and an associated end of said compression spring.

4. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt as set forth in claim 3 the combination wherein said retaining member comprises a cup-shaped ferrule receiving said associated end therein.

5. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt as set forth in claim 4 wherein said ferrule has a slot opening radially outwardly through one side thereof receiving said support rod in assembly therein.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PATENT NO.

DATED INVENTOR(S) I v3,866,730 February 18, 1975 Walter 0'. Balducci It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: i

In the Heading The name of the Assignee "Emhard Corporation" should read -Emhart Corporation--.

Col. 2,

Col. 2,

Col. 2,

line 35, "released" should be releases--.

line 54, "cover (50) assembly" should read --cover assembly (50).

line 17, "auxilliary" should be -auxiliary--.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of- June 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

RUTH C.

MASON v Attesting Officer C. l tARSHALL-DAI\1\ Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks 

1. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt assembly and having a frame assembly including a frame, a slide, means supporting said slide on said frame for sliding movement relative thereto between a first and a second position, and means for biasing said slide toward said first position, the improvement comprising an auxillary spring unit for snap-in assembly with said frame assembly and including a compression spring, a support rod extending through said compression spring, and means for retaining said compression spring in a compressed condition on said support rod prior to snap-in assembly with said frame assembly, said auxillary spring unit in assembly with said frame assembly providing additional biasing force for urging said slide toward said first position.
 2. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt assembly as set forth in claim 1, the combination wherein said frame comprises a backplate for mounting on a surface of a door, said means for supporting said slide comprises a pair of parallel guide rods extending through said slide and mounted in fixed position on said backplate, said auxilliary spring unit is received in snap-in engagement with said backplate and said slide between said guide rods and axially parallel thereto.
 3. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt assembly as set forth in claim 1, the combination wherein said support rod has an enlarged head thereon and said means for retaining said compression spring comprises a retaining member disposed between said enlarged head and an associated end of said compression spring.
 4. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt as set forth in claim 3 the combination wherein said retaining member comprises a cup-shaped ferrule receiving said associated end therein.
 5. In an inactive case for an emergency exit bolt as set forth in claim 4 wherein said ferrule has a slot opening radially outwardly through one side thereof receiving said support rod in assembly therein. 